| 1. Bonds sets himself in the batter’s box, then as the pitcher starts his motion, cocks his bat and lifts his front foot as a timing mechanism.
2. Bonds raises his hands into hitting position, then starts to pull the bat through the zone. His head is almost completely still throughout the at-bat; all the action is elsewhere.
3. Bonds strides into the pitch and pulls his bottom hand on an almost level plane across his body, with the palm of his top hand facing up. Bonds takes the knob of the bat out first and keeps his hands inside the baseball rather than trying to get the barrel head out first.
4. Bonds’ bat cuts across the zone on a flat plane, directed by his lower hand. Unlike many power hitters, Bonds has virtually no uppercut. Being mechanically sound, and being able to repeat his swing every time, mostly enables him to make consistent contact and direct the ball fair. His strength and explosiveness take care of the rest.
5. Only after the follow-through does Bonds lift his head — as often as not, seemingly, to watch another blast head into the stands or beyond.
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